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WEST END |
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West End is the center point and most visited areas of Roatan and Honduras. West End also has the largest expat community in Honduras with residents calling Roatan home who have ventured as far as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England, Holland, United States, Canada and many other countries. This strip of village is only about 500 yards in length but is packed with a large variety of Bars, Restaurants, Dive Shops and Souvenir stores. Halfmoon Bay, located at the entrance of West End is also another focal point for a nice swim in the protected bay. West End is a must! |
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COXEN HOLE |
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The capital of the Bay Islands is Coxen Hole, Roatan's largest city and the first place you'll see when flying into Roatan. It's the island's center for politics and commerce. Coxen Hole is also home to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. There are an array of shops for tourists to visit but Coxen Hole is more commonly visited if you are a resident of the island and wish to do banking, meeting with the local municipality or picking up supplies from food to construction. |
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FRENCH HARBOR |
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French Harbor is home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the Western Caribbean and is the economic center of the island that is also fast becoming another financial center for Roatan. Many developments and commercial businesses have moved in the direction of French Harbor which is located in the center of Roatan. At the end of 2009 the long awaited Mega Plaza opened to additional department stores and restaurants. There are many activities for the tourist to enjoy from a round of golf on Pete Dye's new 18 hole championship course through to visiting the Iguana farm. (See activities for more info). |
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SANDY BAY |
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Sandy Bay is known as one of the cultural centers of the island which is home to the Roatan Institute of Marine Sciences, and a the starting point for the Roatan Marine Reserve. Sandy Bay has seen its fair share of developments appear over the last several years, from the high end premier residence community of Lawson Rock. Carambola Gardens is home to a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife which can be enjoyed at your own pace. |
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OAKRIDGE |
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Oakridge (aka Venice of Roatan) is located on the south side of Roatan further East of French Harbor. It is a small and picturesque community with strong Afro Antillean influences. Still stuck in time, much of Oakridge has not changed because of limited access. Oakridge is connected to various fishing villages through a multitude of mangrove forests. Although services are minimal, there are some wonderful experiences to be had from a wonderful lunch at The Hole in the Wall restaurant to mangrove channel tours with the local boats-man. Oakridge used to have a large fishing and packing location but much of the larger worldwide conglomerates have put a lot of fishermen out of business as you will see by the large amount of rusting boat hulls in the bays. |
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PUNTA GORDA |
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PORT ROYAL |
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